Volumetric imaging of a sample with microscopic resolution is useful in a variety of applications. For example, optical imaging of in-vivo biological tissue can produce an optical signal (e.g., fluorescence) that provides information on neuron activity and dynamics. In such applications, typically, three-dimensional volumetric images of a sample are created from a stack of two-dimensional images obtained from a plurality of depths within the sample. Often, each two-dimensional image comprising the stack is optically sectioned such that the signal contained in each two-dimensional image is not distorted with background signals from other two-dimensional images in the stack.
There are several challenges to achieving fast, volumetric images of a sample. For example, this type of imaging requires the microscopy system to very quickly acquire multiple microscopic resolution, optically sectioned images from a three-dimensional volume. For another example, light scattering in thick samples can often lead to image degradation (e.g., blur, contrast reduction, signal loss, etc.) that increases with increasing depth penetration into the sample. Thus, a need exists for devices, systems, and methods for quickly generating one or more volumetric images of a sample that have limited degradation. The present disclosure is directed to solving these problems and addressing other needs.